Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I still can't type well; bad hands. So, read but forgive! These are telling and important quotes the UFDC should adopt at p. 233 from Chapter 25, The Educational Value of the Doll:

illustrated by doll study? A knowledge of history, geography, folklore, tadition of peoples, their poetry, music, sentiments, dances, social religious festivals are essential to the education of broad mindd individuals'. How better can these things be taught to children than to make object lessons of the mannikins that represent

"What topic yet proposed for the education fo the young is not in part at least types and clsses of various countries?
Dolls have a social and religious significance; fundamental principles, which underlie folkllore and traditions, are embodied and set forth by dolls, which the majority of people look upon simply as children's toys."

Starr refers to a pamphlet by G. Stanely Hall and A. Cassowell Ellis of Clark Unviersity, MA, published int he early 1900s asking certan data of response of childrent o objects representing a baby or child. Questions were:
1. With ragard to kind of doll, of what material it was made, etc.
2. The feeding of dolls, what kind of food and how given.
3. Medicine an disease were treated, what remedies were given adn how.
4. What constituted the death of a doll, funeral services and burial.
5. Details of psychic acts and qualities ascribed to dolls.
6. Information wanted re doll names, accesories, toilet articles, furnishings.
7. What did children think of doll families, doll discipline, hygiene, and regimen, rewards and pubnishments; how dolls are put to sleep.
8. What is the influence of dolls on children? etc.
9. Is there regularity and persistency in the care of dolls? etc. See p. 230-231 in Starr. The book is available on eBay and Amazon, and on Kindle.

Monday, October 22, 2012

I have been studying a lot on 18th c. dolls lately; here is a useful bibliography on the Queen Anne Period:
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF QUEEN ANNE RELATED BOOKS & WEBSITES
NOTE: This page may be added to during the class. Toward the end of class a PDF will be made for printing out so you can keep a copy with all your other class notes.
BOOKS (Recommended by GW - these are ones I have seen myself. Other Books that have been recommended to me are down in MORE BOOKS):
• What Clothes Reveal by Linda Baumgarten from the Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Available from many book sources including Amazon ($40 with free shipping). Worth investing in.
• Distaff Sketch Book: a Collection of Notes and Sketches on Womens Dress in America 1774-1783 by Robert L Klinger. A thin paperback with drawings of costume details. Looks hokey, but excellent. Printed by Pioneer Press and largely sold in museum shops.
• The Heart of the Tree: Early Wooden Dolls to the 1850’s by Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art. Available to order ($49.95 + shipping) by calling the Museum (425-455-1116). A Must Have.
• Eighteenth-Century Clothing at Williamsburg by Linda Baumgarten. Available new and used.
• The Collector’s Book of Dolls’ Clothes by Dorothy, Elizabeth and Evelyn Coleman. Only available used.
• The Ultimate Doll Book by Caroline Goodfellow. Available used. Another Must Have for all dolls.
• Rare and Lovely Dolls of Two Centuries by John Darcy Noble. Available used. Not great quality photos, but he was a noteworthy collector and one should be aware of him in a study of QA dolls.
• Several small references in good books to see for dolls by Florence Theriault: An Early American Childhood: Dolls, Toys and Playthings of American Youth 1780-1880, Dolls: The Early Years 1780-1880 and Dolls, The Early Years 1780-1910. Florence’s books are worth collecting. She has so many.
• Dolls, Toys and Childhood, the Mathes Collection and Philosophy, by Ruth E Mathes and Robert C. Mathes
• Fashion; A History from the 18th to the 20th Century (The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute) Taschen. Fabulous collection of photos even if a bit stylized for my taste on the manikins. (There is also a smaller version of this same work called Fashion; Icon.)
• Masterpieces of Women’s Costume of the 18th and 19th Centuries by Aline Bernstein (Dover Book)
• Costume in Detail, 1730-1930 by Nancy Bradfield has very good diagrams of the construction of the QA’s garments. This one is highly recommended. It is all black and white sketches with noted details. Not as inspiring for lack of colored real pictures, but for costume details (its appropriate name) it is ideal and covers a broad range of years.
• Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries by Avril Hart and Susan North. Fabulous pictures of all of the details. Really good for embroidery and other fabric embellishments.
•Patterns of Fashion I/Englishwomen’s Dresses & Their Construction 1660-1860 by Janet Arnold Excellent drawings only of both the outfit and pattern construction.
• 18th Century Embroidery Techniques by Gail Marsh. Just wonderful book on this period with excellent illustrations of costume ideas, embroidery designs, and other sewing tools and essentials of the times.
MORE BOOKS (recommended by others but which I have not seen):
• Traditional Needlework in Miniature by Annelle Ferguson. It is filled with the most exquisite designs for needlework from the 15th to 19th century. A full one half of the book is devoted to the 18th century.
• Rural Pennsylvania Clothing by Ellen J. Gehret, ISBN 0-87387-105-7.
• English Dolls, Effigies and Puppets by Alice K. Early, B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1955. the book has chapter on Wooden Dolls with several B&W photos of QA.
• Another book, Accessories of Dress, by Katherine Morris Lester, the Manual Arts Press, Peoria, IL, 1940 has a two page chapter on the patches worn by QA.
• English Dolls, Effigies and Puppets by Alice K. Early, B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1955.The book has a chapter on Wooden Dolls with several B&W photos of QA.
• Accessories of Dress, by Katherine Morris Lester, the Manual Arts Press, Peoria, IL, 1940 has a two page chapter on the patches worn by QA.
• Historical Fashion in Detail, the 17th and 18th centuries, by Avril Hart, Susan North, and Richard Davis, put out by the V&A
• The Official Journal of The United Federation of Doll Clubs’ 57th National Convention book, Tell Me a Story. In this book are many pictures of Queen Ann dolls. This book is available from the UFDC store for $40.00.
• The Little Corset Book: A Workbook on Period Underwear (Little Costume Workbooks)
• Corsets and Crinolines, The Cut of Women’s Clothes and The Cut of Men’s Clothes all by Norah Waugh
• Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women’s Dress 1500-1800. Jean Hunnisett Period Costume titles can be ordered directly from the publisher, Players Press, Inc., Empire Publishing, PO Box 1344, Studio City, CA, 91614 (playerspress@att.net) $59
OTHER REFERENCES (by GW):
• Go to the Classroom page and visit the Historical pages frequently as more will be added over time. Here you will find pictures to study and be inspired by.
• Go to internet searches for Queen Anne in the antique versions. Start with major museums as most have at least one good example. Look under the categories of Queen Anne, Wood Dolls, 18th Century Dolls, Queen Anne Dolls Museums, etc. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum (www.vam.ac.uk), www.lotzdollpages.com/lbrit.html and other places.
• Look at contemporary dollmakers’ versions of Queen Anne’s. Here are some suggestions:
www.lotzdollpages.com/hhyland.html, Peter Wolf’s Queen Annes, Roy Brindamour (hard to find his work online, but I have some pictures he gave me to show). There are also more whimsical Queen Anne makers like Chistine Crocker (www.deerfieldfarmhouse.com) and Nicol Sayre (nicolsayre.com) and Christine LeFever (www.christinelefever.com). Some other ones hard to find on the internet except at an occasional auction are the Queen Annes of David Chapman and Paul Robins (The Old Pretenders) Website at tlcdollshop.com/old_pretenders.htm. Caution - be careful of these dollmaker’s rights, look and be inspired, but do not copy in any way. It is quite another thing to copy a public domain work which, of course, any old Queen Anne would be.
• Check your local library or interlibrary loan service if your library does not own the books of interest.
• Doll Reader Magazine, May 1983 issue, has an article entitled “A Fashionable Wardrobe: 1775 to 1790” which includes lots of drawings showing costumes from the skin out--including a chemise, embroidered stockings, shoes, umbrellas, a walking stick, fans, wraps, a pocket, hairdos, hats, etc.
OTHER GENERAL QA REFERENCES (by class):
• Small upstairs textile gallery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
OTHER EMBROIDERY/NEEDLEWORK REFERENCES - FOR IDEAS OR PATTERNS TO USE IN MINIATURE VERSION:
• Nice embroidery websites, some are free. Check out www.Suebox.com (some free samples) and www.AnntheGran.com (also free, but you must register). Not much for our use, but a few ideas to tweak and try.
• Beginner’s Guide to Miniature Embroidery
• A company in Holland that has reproduction fabric www.dutchquilts.com similar to ones that would have been used in the QA doll era.
• www.needlenthread.com/2006/06/basic-embroidery-stitches.html
• www.inaminuteago.com/stitchindex.html
• Great little book with a big title at the library today by Shay Pendray, (she did a needlework series on PBS a few years back), “Piecework Magazine Presents the Needleworker’s Companion”. It is chock full of info on threads, including tips working with silk and wool floss, metallic threads, how to choose needles, determining the twist, and on and on.
• Google Crewel Embroidery or www.needlework.co.uk
SOURCES OF MATERIALS:
• Positively (so far) the best source of good silks http://www.jrbsilks.com/ where you can order samples at a small fee to make sure of what you will get. Great stripes and brocades, a few in just-right small scale.
• Farmhouse Fabrics (http://www.farmhousefabrics.com/) has many stripes that would paint overdye and handquilt for petticoats, laces, and many other fabrics - you will want to keep this reference!
• Lewis and Sheron Textiles is another possible resource (www.lsfabrics.com/index.php)
• Many items, especially doll millinery supplies, but also lace and ribbon, etc., is www.dollsandlace.com/index.htm
• The Smocking Store (http://www.smockingstore.com/catalog.html) has vintage lace pieces to swoon over among other goodies.
• http://www.morgaine-le-fays-textiles.blogspot.com/ has antique fabrics to yearn for.
RELATED WEBSITES:
• To make a tricorn hat - www.cvesd.k12.ca.us/finney/paulvm/PR3_TricornHat.pdf
• About the QA doll John Darcy Noble had made and exquistely costumed. www.carmeldollshop.com/category/johndarcy/artist/johnartist1.html
• www.dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/3timesearch/tseighteenth/18.html ~ Click on any of the silhouettes (thought they are interesting too)and it will take you to a page of lovely dresses for study, then click on the links at the bottom of the page labeled Subject search.
• Annie Beez’s Collection of Pictures: www.picturetrail.com/gid12710941
• This site often has very good pictures of historical clothing up close.
www.vintagetextile.com/new_page_76.htm.
• www.dutchquilts.com has repro fabrics with prints appropriate to this period. The prints are too large but if you owned a piece of the fabric you could scan it at a reduced scale, then print on fabric from your inkjet printer. Caution, if you do this, it must be only for your own use and not for sale.
• www.elizabethancostume.net/ is a website with some good info about costume details that apply to the Queen Anne “era” as well.
• www.chenillesetpapillons.com has some good views of costumes, male and female, some with nice prints